Applesauce Doughnut Holes

Yeah, not really. I can’t promise that at all. I know there are some of you out there who aren’t into pumpkin, apple and cinnamon EVERYTHING, but I can’t help myself. I am very into pumpkin, apple and cinnamon everything.

I’ll try to mix it up a bit. However, you should know that I still have 14 cans of pumpkin puree in my pantry, so I’m probably not going to keep my word on this one. At least for a while. But I’ll try. Kind of.

The good news, for some of you, is that there isn’t a drop of pumpkin in these doughnuts. Apple and cinnamon, yes. But no pumpkin.

Baby steps.

Seriously, who am I kidding? I would’ve put pumpkin in these if I were thinking straight.

I’m usually not one to fry much of anything, but the thought of a soft, cinnamon and apple doughnut with a slight crisp to the outer, sugar-coated layer? I couldn’t leave it alone. These are fantastic at any temperature, but warm, fresh doughnut holes are where. it’s. at.

Can you imagine indulging in a couple of these with a big old mug of coffee? I can. ‘Cause I did it.

If you’re looking for an easy doughnut recipe, you’ve found it. No special tools are needed, except perhaps a thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the oil for about 10 minutes over medium heat, and you should be at the right temperature. If the oil is too hot, the middle of the doughnut won’t cook and the outside will burn. If it’s too low, they’ll get greasy and absorb all of the oil, so you can tell when you’re in the right spot. They should cook in about 3-4 minutes, be dark golden brown on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside.

Let them drain on a cookie sheet lined with a paper towel and a wire cooling rack, if you have one. Roll them when they’re warm (but not hot) in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and then try not to eat them all yourself.

If you aren’t into the cinnamon-sugar coating, you can try a powdered sugar glaze, too. This recipe makes between 24 and 36 doughnut holes, depending on the size of your scoop, so you can store the leftovers in an airtight container for a couple of days.